Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Black Women in Hollywood

Aidan
Black Women in Hollywood
Women Studies

TV and movie is one place that has lagged in regards to the jobs offered to black women. There are very few roles offered to black women for TV or movies and those roles offered usually aren’t high quality. Most roles are cut and pasted stereotypes lacking in originality and wit. In fact, the majority of roles black women play can really be boiled down to about three characters. Also, on top of that, it takes black women longer to break into the world of television. Most black women, if they have a breakout movie at all, will have at around thirty to forty years of age. While on the other hand, white women will be receiving nominations and awards in their twenties.
The problem lies in the writers. There is simply a lack of roles for black women to play in movies and television. The cure is to have writers that can make roles for them. During Dr. Palmer’s speech, I wondered how I’d write a role for a black woman to play and the truth is I think I’d really struggle with it and trying to keep it from being stereotyped. It’s like that speech that was made about intersectionality… a black woman would have two intersections that I’m unfamiliar with. Being both black and a woman is hard for me to imagine and to write a role for.

So maybe the answer lies in having a more diverse selection of movie writers. Looking up “Modern Screenwriters” results in a sea of white people. On a list of top 100 modern screenwriters, there were two black men… no black women. So the problem likely lies in a lack of diversity in modern writers for television.

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